Big 12 conference play kicks off in just 76 days. The Kansas State Wildcats will square off against the Iowa State Cyclones in a conference game in week zero. The game will be played in Dublin, Ireland. 2025 will mark BYU’s third season in the Big 12.
Last year, BYU made an unexpected rise to the top of the league. The Cougars were tied for first in the conference standings, but tiebreaker rules kept them out of the conference title game. Going into 2025, one anonymous Big 12 coach believes BYU is a “legit power” in the Big 12.Every year, Athlon Sports gets anonymous quotes from coaches for their annual preseason magazine. One coach said, “I think [BYU] is a legit power in this league.”
While BYU proved that they can compete for a Big 12 championship last year, becoming a “power” in the league would mean competing for the title year after year. That’s what BYU is hoping to accomplish, starting in 2025.
Becoming a perennial power would require better recruiting from BYU. There are positive signs that BYU can recruit well enough compete for championships year in and year out. The Cougars have added 11 four-star recruits since the end of the 2024 season. They are also one of a small list of schools in contention to land five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons.BYU had on-field success in 2024. That on-field success has translated to recruiting success this offseason.
The opportunity is there for BYU to become a power in the league. However, that same opportunity is there for programs like Kansas State, Texas Tech, Utah, Arizona State, Iowa State, and TCU among others. The next few years will be critical to see if one or two teams separate themselves from the rest of the league.
Right now, the league is wide open for any team to win any given year. While that makes for an entertaining season, it hurts the national perception of the Big 12.
